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Seager’s Hot Streak Lifts M’s Over Rangers

SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 27: Kyle Seager #15 of the Seattle Mariners hits a three-run home run in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field on April 27, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners defeated the Rangers 6-5. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Seager

Kyle Seager has tamed Safeco Field this season and is on his way to what is certain to be a gigantic pay day. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

SEATTLE (AP) — Less than a week ago, nothing was going right for Kyle Seager and the Mariners. Since then Seager just keeps hitting home runs and Seattle has started to see some wins.

Seager hit a pair of homers Sunday, including a three-run shot in the eighth, to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 6-5 comeback win against the Texas Rangers. Seager has five homers in his last four games, a power surge that started with a two-homer game against the Astros on Wednesday. Before that game, Seager was hitting .156 with no home runs and two RBI, a slump that matched the team’s performance — Seattle lost its eighth straight game Tuesday.

In the four games since, he’s gone 8 for 15, added five homers and 11 RBI and raised his season average to .228 while the Mariners have won three of the four. He’s also had at least two hits in all four games, tying a career-best streak.

“It’s been a good run. I think if you continue to stay with the program and not panic, hopefully it’ll come around sooner or later,” Seager said. “It’s been feeling good for a little while. The results obviously weren’t what I was hoping for, but it was starting to come around.”

The Mariners fell behind 5-0 to Texas early before Seager led the late rally. Seager led off the seventh inning with his first home run and then gave Seattle the lead with his two-out shot down the right field line in the eighth off Alexi Ogando (1-2).

“There’s nothing like positive results,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “When you start to get some positive results you feel better about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.”

The comeback victory also gave the Mariners their first home series win against Texas since September 2012.

The homers more than made up for an earlier missed opportunity, when Seager struck out with the bases loaded to end the fourth inning.

“I thought we had him for a minute,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “I thought he was slumping. But I guess he’s not.”

Danny Farquhar (1-0) pitched the eighth to earn the win and Fernando Rodney closed out the ninth for his fifth save.

Rangers starter Matt Harrison made his first appearance in more than a year, giving up two runs on three hits in six innings.

Harrison was activated from the disabled list before the game to make his first appearance since April 6, 2013. Harrison was the Rangers’ opening day starter last season but only pitched two games before going on the disabled list with an inflamed nerve in his lower back. He had two back surgeries in a nine-day span a year ago, and another surgery on his right side in September. He battled stiffness in his back and neck during spring training, starting the season on the disabled list.

“Glad to be back,” Harrison said. “It’s been a long road.”

Harrison had no problems in the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters he faced. But a lengthy top of the fourth — the Rangers had eight batters and scored three runs to take the 5-0 lead — seemed to affect Harrison as he came out for the bottom of the inning.

Harrison walked Michael Saunders to lead off the fourth, and Robinson Cano got the Mariners’ first hit with a one-out, run-scoring double. Harrison gave up another single and a walk to load the bases with two outs before Seager’s strikeout.

Harrison gave up another run in the sixth when Cano singled and later scored on Harrison’s wild pitch to cut the Rangers’ lead to 5-2.

Seattle starter Brandon Maurer was knocked out in the fourth inning after giving up five runs on seven hits, but the Mariners’ bullpen — Seattle used six pitchers on the day — gave up just one hit the rest of the way.

“They saved us,” McClendon said. “It’s hard to win games when your bullpen is giving you four, five innings. It’s hard to win, and they shut it down. They threw up zeros.”

NOTES: McClendon gave his usual Nos. 1 and 2 hitters — OF Abraham Almonte and SS Brad Miller — the day off. Both players have been struggling offensively, with Almonte hitting .204 and Miller .174. “We’ll give them both some time off and hopefully they’ll bounce back,” McClendon said. … Texas optioned IF Luis Sardinas to Double-A Frisco before the game. There had been speculation the Rangers would place OF Shin-Soo Choo, who hasn’t played since his hurting his left ankle at Oakland on Monday, on the DL to make room for Harrison. Washington said the Rangers are waiting to see if Choo will be able to play soon.

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